Andorra Awards €456K Scholarships to 150 High-Performance Athletes

The Andorra High Performance Programme (ARA) has allocated €456,346 in scholarships for 150 athletes in its 21st cycle, marking an increase of €19,240 from last year's €437,106 and expanding the total number of participants to 374, including 224 in the sport-study initiative.

Elite athletes receive the highest awards, totalling €235,620 for eight recipients. Leading the group are Mònica Doria and Joan Verdú, each awarded €32,000, followed by Roger Puig (€30,000), Irineu Esteve (€27,000), Nahuel Carabaña (€25,000), Gina del Rio (€22,000), and Pol Moya and Cande Moreno (€18,000 each).

In the pre-elite category, Ari Fenés receives €6,000 while Marc Soldevila—or Arnau Soldevila, as noted in some reports—gets €3,000 after stepping back from the full competition schedule set by the Andorran Mountaineering Federation.

The prospects level supports 36 athletes with €170,500, highlighting Oriol Olm (€16,000) and Naiara Liñán (€15,000), who are close to elite status. Liñán's award saw the largest increase at €9,500, with Max Palmitjavila receiving €12,000. Other notable rises include Roger Puig's by €8,000 and Biel Cuen's by €2,000.

Young prospects include aid for five athletes—Noa Godoy, Nil Checa, Ona Perelegre, Etna Pou, and Max Black—plus €28,000 for the EEBE programme and support for seven in collective prospects, totalling €41,226 across the level.

Service scholarships cover 99 athletes with €259,289, up €75,000 from last year, averaging roughly €2,600 per recipient.

The sport-study programme now involves 224 participants from six federations: football (110, including 20 new futsal athletes), skiing (61), basketball (15), swimming (10), judo (5), and tennis (3). It aids in balancing training and education, with monitoring for those abroad.

A new feature is the PROES guidance programme, developed by the Ministry of Sports with the Youth and Volunteering Area and the Educational and Professional Orientation Centre. It offers personalised academic support and career transition assistance for high-performance athletes. Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Mònica Bonell stated that investing in athletes means investing in Andorra's sporting future. Secretary of State for Youth and Sports Alain Cabanes highlighted top prospects' proximity to elite level.

Aid includes a one-year grace period before reductions or withdrawal for unmet targets.